GQ&A Luca Rubinacci

There’s royalty and there’s Rubinacci. The Rubinacci dynasty of bespoke tailors finds its roots in the Mecca of made in Italy sartorial goods, Napels. Gennaro was the first of the Rubinacci men to make a name for himself as a successful tailor, back in the 1930s. Today, it is his grandson Luca Rubinacci who reigns over the international family empire. Rubinacci’s clients include royalty, Forbes 500 CEOs and bad boy extraordinaire, Lapo Elkann. Furthermore, Luca’s peacock-like style sensibility can be admired on pretty much every URL out there exploring street style (among which his personal style section at mariorubinacci.net)

Declan Eytan hung out in Milan with Rubinacci, who happens to be a personal favourite of The Sartorialist. Together they discussed the meaning of luxury and the essence of being a gentleman.

Declan: Many tailors don’t like being referred to as designers. How do you personally feel about the d-word?

Luca: Tailors are designers; bespoke designers. The difference is that fashion designers create for the masses, which keeps them from being able to connect with each client individually. A tailor however, creates an individual style for each of his clients. So if we’d have to make a comparison, the job of a designer who is also a tailor is much harder than that of a fashion designer. A tailor has to be adept at bringing out the individual style of his client. ‘Cause I always say, a blazer must only appeal to one person: the one who wears it.

Declan: How would you define sartorial style?

Luca: Sartorial style is a style sewn ad hoc for one individual only. There are no trends, there is no fashion. Everybody can go into a store and find a jacket they like, but you can go to a tailor instead and create your own personal wardrobe.

Declan: Which individual do you believe best represents sartorial style?

Luca: Lapo Elkann is a great example of a free-spirited sartorial style. I’ve been tailoring suits for Lapo for many years – he always challenges me. Then also Bryan Ferry – he’s a client of ours in London. In the States there’s Bank of America executive by the name of Stefan Selig. He is another super gentleman who dresses with much precision.

Declan: How does one spot a gentleman?

Luca: A gentleman is the one who distinguishes himself from the masses, with a touch of eccentricity. But not the kind of eccentricity you notice before noticing the man. I do believe in dress codes, however, as I think a gentleman should wear the right clothes at the right place. A gentleman can be a surfer or a banker in a suit-and-tie. Surfers are gentlemen in their own way, in the sense that you’ll never spot a surfer catching a wave in a slip; he’ll always wear swim shorts. Keep in mind that a dress code has many sides to it. I always like to teeter on the edge of a dress code in order to maintain a sense of individuality.

Declan: What’s the most definitive characteristic of your personal style?

Luca: I don’t have one personal style; my style is in constant evolution. I like to change things up. It’s because I don’t believe that a bespoke designer can have solely one style and be able to accommodate the individual style needs of each and every single client in the world.

Declan: The word “luxury” has become somewhat overused within the world of fashion. What does luxury mean to you?

Luca: By luxury I mean craftsmanship. It can range from a tailored suit, to cars like a Ferrari or Aston Martin – it’s not about a brand. To me, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana aren’t luxury brands, they’re mass-market brands. They’re fashion, but for the masses. Real luxury – in terms of clothing – is that which comes without a brand.

Declan: You’re not interested in reaching the masses. So how do you stand on the whole celebrity market?

Luca: The celebrity market is one thing; the mass market is another. Brands hand out gifts to celebrities so the masses will follow. Celebrities don’t buy anything, they get a lot of stuff for free. So in the end, they don’t even decide how they dress. I criticise those celebrities for their lack of personality. They want to be trendy, but they’re doing it with things that have been handed out to them by brands. So in the end they’re being trendy with things they didn’t even really want to have in the first place, if you get what I mean? I could have more celebrity clients if I gave everything away for free. However, I don’t hand out suits to just anyone.

About Declan Eytan

Declan Eytan is a Milan-based journalist and menswear contributor. Having written for publications such as GQ, L’Uomo Vogue and Vogue Italia, Declan has also interviewed some of the biggest names in fashion. Visit Declan’s blog: deccie.com.